The present invention relates to a digital camera.
Many digital cameras, in which an image formed on an image capturing element is converted into electronic data and recorded, are provided with “electronic zoom” for obtaining a pseudo enlarged image whose angle of view of the image picked up by cutting a partial image out of the image formed on the image capturing element and recording the partial image is reduced. However, there is a problem that the pixels of the image are reduced in number to disadvantageously lead to a degraded resolution when the electronic zoom is used.
Moreover, as a means for obtaining an image of high resolution higher than the resolution of the image capturing element, “pixel shift” for synthesizing a high-resolution image by continuously capturing a plurality of images of different image capturing ranges by an equally divided amount of pixel pitch and interpolating the pixels of another image between the pixels of one image is well known.
Moreover, “hand shake correction” for obtaining a clear image by providing a drive mechanism for moving the image capturing element or an optical member and a shake amount detection section for detecting the amount of shake of the digital camera itself in order to solve the problem of hand shake that the captured image becomes indistinct due to the shake of the digital camera itself and canceling the shake of the digital camera with the movement of the image capturing element or the optical member is also well known.
Furthermore, a technique for providing a digital camera with a drive mechanism for moving the image capturing element or an optical member and carrying out both the “hand shake correction” and the “pixel shift” by means of the drive mechanism is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications No. 2001-223932 or H07-287268. However, no consideration for the degradation in resolution due to the electronic zoom is provided in these documents.